Informe Anual 2020 en inglés
Informes anuales
1. Introduction
The Access to Public Information Unit (UAIP, for its acronym in Spanish), is the control body created by the Law on Access to Public Information No. 18.381 of October 17, 2008 (hereinafter, "LAIP"), to ensure compliance with the obligations it imposes on public bodies.
Pursuant to the duties set forth in Section 21 of the aforementioned Law, it is required to prepare and submit to the Executive Branch an annual report on the status of this right. Through this report, the UAIP, disseminates and accounts for everything done during the year 2020.
2. Main lines of work developed in 2020
The management of the UAIP during 2020 focused on the following lines of action:
- System of Access to Public Information (SAIP, for its acronym in Spanish): we continued adding others to bodies, improving the functionalities of the SAIP and working on the implementation of a single window for requests for access to information, with the associated regulations so that it can be used as the only entry and management channel for requests and other obligations provided for in the Law. In addition to allowing bodies to comply with their legal obligations before the control body.
- Raising awareness of the Right of Access to Public Information with the implementation of various actions to publicize the existence of the right and generate capacities in different groups.
- Monitoring and control of the application of the regulations in force by means of studies and audits to follow up the compliance with the obligations imposed on the bodies.
- Strengthening of international relations through the participation of the UAIP in the different regional and international forums on the subject, and active participation in the development and implementation of regional projects.
- Management of the UAIP Executive Committee: Handling of queries and complaints related to compliance with the Law and organization, support and follow-up of Executive Committee meetings.
3. Training and dissemination
Within the framework of this task, different lines of work have been deployed with the aim of disseminating the law and the obligations among regulated parties, as well as training officials and interested parties in general. To this end, a series of workshops were held for the referent community, as well as for organizations and institutions that so requested.
Among the various training activities were those carried out at the national level with the aim of strengthening the capacities of public bodies, especially considering that progress was made in the implementation and development of the new single window system (SAIP).
In order to train public servants and citizens in general in the use of the new system, manuals, informative audiovisual content and explanatory brochures were prepared. Online training sessions were also held for nearly 200 representatives of the agencies involved, and individual coordination and advisory meetings were held.
4. Awareness-raising and dissemination activities
Several awareness-raising activities were carried out virtually, both at the national and regional levels, many of them in coordination with the Transparency and Access Network (RTA, for its acronym in Spanish), which had an impact at the regional level, especially on September 28, on the commemoration of the International Day of Access to Public Information.
At the same time, talks and webinars were given to the general public on specific topics such as "Documentary Management and Access to Human Rights Archives", "Access to Public Information and Accessibility in State portals" and "Access to Public Information with a Gender Perspective", in which around 250 people participated.
On the other hand, on October 7 and 8, the 8th International Seminar on Access to Public Information was held, called "Breaking down barriers for the exercise of the Right". The seminar was delivered by Uruguayan speakers and speakers from different countries of the region and was attended by more than 300 people.
5. Advisory activities
The UAIP developed several instances of advice to individuals and officials of the regulated parties, both in person and by telephone and e-mail. In such instances, advice is given and all doubts about the implementation of the law and compliance with the assigned obligations are clarified.
a) Informal advice
A total of 480 informal consultations were answered by e-mail and 109 by telephone.
b) Advice through formal procedures
In order to advise and provide answers to queries and complaints formally filed with the Unit, the team of legal advisors has prepared a total of 96 legal reports and has met with agencies on 23 occasions virtually. The Unit's Executive Committee held 24 meetings.
c) Table with management indicators
| Queries processed | 53 |
| Complaints processed | 66 |
| Calls answered | 109 |
| Emails answered | 480 |
| Legal reports completed | 96 |
| Executive committee meetings | 24 |
| Meetings with bodies to provide advice and answer questions | 23 |
6. Activities for the control of compliance with obligations
a) Appointment of referents
During 2020, efforts continued to strengthen the program for the appointment of responsible persons or referents of the bodies in matters of active and passive transparency, which complies with the provisions of Sections 41 and 56 of Decree No. 232 of August 2, 2010.
The UAIP, in order to achieve the referred appointment and to be able to provide specialized training to those referents, periodically informs those bodies that have not proceeded with their appointment.
b) Sending of reports (section 7)
The Law also requires the regulated parties to comply with a series of obligations that must be reported to the UAIP. For such purposes, Section 7 establishes the obligation to comply with the delivery of the following reports:
1. Annual report on the status of compliance with the obligations of access to public information. The submission of this report is due on the last working day of March of each year and refers to requests received from January to December of the previous year.
In order to process the information submitted, and to obtain accurate data regarding the implementation of the Law in our country, the UAIP started a new processing system identifying compliance in three phases: Total Compliance, Partial Compliance and Non-Compliance.
In 2020, the subjects bound by the law received a total of 3308 requests for access to public information. There was a high level of response from the bodies; a total of 3244 requests were answered within the deadline.
The regulated parties that received the largest number of requests were the Municipality of Montevideo (1841), UTE (79), MRREE (78), ANCAP (60), ASSE (40) and the Municipality of Colonia (26).
Tables with statistics related to access requests
| Response time | |
| Answered within the 20-day deadline | 2703 |
| Answered within the 20-day extension period | 312 |
| Answered after the deadline | 233 |
| 3248 | 3248 |
| Answered requests | |
| Total number of requests where access was granted | 3033 |
| Total requests denied | 146 |
| Total requests with multiple answers | 81 |
| Overall total | 3260 |
| Reasons for denial | |
| Confidentiality | 55 |
| Secrecy | 5 |
| Privacy | 46 |
Nonexistence Overall total | 70 176 |
2. Semiannual report of information classified as reserved. The presentation of this report is scheduled for the first fortnight of August. In 2020, 77 forms on reserved information were received.
Clarification: The above information corresponds exactly with the data submitted by the legally bound parties through the submission of the above-mentioned reports.
7. Progress on GA and RTA commitments and/or projects
During 2020, progress was made in meeting the goals of the commitments undertaken within the framework of the 4th Open Government Plan (GA, for its acronym in Spanish ), especially in relation to the creation of the aforementioned National Transparency Index and the generation of a model to incorporate the gender perspective in the creation and publication of public information.
Access the Open Government Viewer
Access the Plan of Action for the Right of Access to Public Information with a gender perspective.
8. International Relations
The UAIP held the Presidency of the Transparency and Access Network (RTA) together with the Executive Secretary of the National Institute for Access to Public Information and Protection of Personal Data of Mexico (INAI, for its acronym in Spanish).
Work continued at the regional level on topics related to Indicators, Documentary Management, Municipal Transparency, Transparency and Gender, Jurisprudence, Training and Dissemination and Parliamentary Transparency, among others. We also participated in the 19th International Meeting of the RTA, organized by the Colombian authority and held virtually from October 20 to 22, 2020.